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Annual report of the Australian Meningococcal Surveillance Programme, 2007--Amended

John Tapsall1,

  • 1Department of Microbiology, SEALS, The Prince of Wales Hospital, Randwick, NSW.

Communicable Diseases Intelligence Quarterly Report
|July 22, 2009
PubMed

Insights

Invasive meningococcal disease (IMD) surveillance in 2007 showed serogroup B predominated, with most cases in young children and adolescents. Antibiotic susceptibility testing revealed decreased penicillin susceptibility in most isolates.

Area of Science:

  • Microbiology
  • Epidemiology
  • Public Health

Background:

  • Invasive meningococcal disease (IMD) remains a significant public health concern.
  • Surveillance of Neisseria meningitidis is crucial for understanding disease epidemiology and guiding prevention strategies.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To analyze the epidemiology and antibiotic susceptibility of invasive meningococcal disease cases in Australia during 2007.
  • To identify circulating serogroups, serotypes, and serosubtypes of Neisseria meningitidis.

Main Methods:

  • Laboratory confirmation of 281 IMD cases through the National Neisseria Network.
  • Phenotypic characterization (serogroup, serotype, serosubtype) of 154 Neisseria meningitidis isolates.
  • Antibiotic susceptibility testing of isolates.

Main Results:

  • Serogroup B accounted for 85% of confirmed cases, followed by serogroup C (6.5%).
  • Disease peaks occurred in children under 4 and in adolescents/young adults.
  • Reduced susceptibility to penicillin was observed in approximately 75% of isolates; all remained susceptible to rifampicin.

Conclusions:

  • Serogroup B remains the predominant cause of IMD in Australia.
  • Monitoring antibiotic resistance is essential for effective treatment and public health response.
  • Continued surveillance is necessary to track changes in meningococcal disease epidemiology and antimicrobial resistance patterns.

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